Dairy Dispatch June 2014 – National Dairy Month Texas dairies: Feeding the planet while saving its water What liquid do dairy farmers perhaps love more than the the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. milk they produce? The water that – in so many ways – makes In fact, dairies in the Texas Panhandle – a rapidly growing it possible to produce that milk. dairy region – actually use less water than the In recogntion of June as National Dairy Director’s Update area’s commonly grown crops of cotton, wheat Month, TAD is working to educate the public Darren Turley and corn, according to a study of the Ogallala about the steps our dairy farmers take to Aquifer by Texas and New Mexico dairy responsibly use water while continuing to feed a growing extension specialists that examined water use on an inches- population. per-acre-per-year basis. As we know too well, our state is in the grip of an epic Well before the current drought, Texas dairy farmers have drought, one that the state climatologist said is among the five been dedicated to responsible water usage and improving worst in the past 500 years. Some of the driest areas are also water quality. As you well know, water reuse, recycling and home to many of your dairy farms. conservation are long established practices on the farm. Over the years, dairy farmers harnessing ingenuity, Our industry must continue to look for new ways to use innovation and technology have learned to produce more milk less water, both to save money and to conserve a precious with less environmental impact. natural resource. Dairies – and the rest of agriculture – have to Between 1944 and 2007, dairy farmers increased milk continue to do more with less, as the world’s population is yield four fold using 65 percent less water and 90 percent less projected to grow by 2 billion (almost 30 percent) by 2050. cropland, according to the 2013 Sustainability Report from (Continued, “Water,” Page 2) Welcome to Austin! Nearly one-third of Texas Senate will be new in 2015 By Shayne Woodard, J Pete Laney and Lauren Wied, TAD lobbyists After the 2012 general election, the 31-member Texas Senate District 2: Robert “Bob” Deuell (defeated) Senate included 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Six were Republican Bob Hall of Canton upset Deuell in the May 27 freshmen. The Senate body of 2012 went on to debate public primary runoff. He faces Libertarian Don Bates in the general policy and pass numerous bills in a cordial manner, much like election. Hall is a Tea Party-favored and garnered support from the decorum many have come to expect from the Texas prominent Tea Party organizations around the state. Senate. SD 4: Tommy Williams (resigned) Fast-forward to the primary runoff elections that wrapped Republican State Reps. Brandon Creighton and Steve Toth up May 27. will compete in an Aug. 5 runoff ballot to immediately replace Due to retirements, statewide runs and several surprise Williams. No other candidates are running for the seat. With election results, the Texas Senate is likely to have at least eight Creighton and Toth still competing for the Senate seat, two – and maybe nine – new faces during the 2015 legislative House seats opened up. Creighton’s seat likely will be claimed session. The body is also likely to embrace a markedly more by Republican Will Metcalf, who faces Democrat Michael right-leaning ideology. Hayles, Sr. and Libertarian Bob Townsend in the November In addition, the 31 members will be led by the first new general election. Toth’s seat will be filled by Republican Mark lieutenant governor since 2003, with the Republican primary Keough, who has no opposition in the general election. defeat of incumbent David Dewhurst by Sen. Dan Patrick. Should Patrick win the general election over fellow Sen. SD 7: Dan Patrick (statewide office run) Leticia Van de Putte, the Senate leader will be more right- Republican Paul Bettencourt, former Harris County tax leaning than his predecessor. assessor-collector, is likely to defeat Democrat Jim Davis and How does the rest of the Texas Senate play out? (Continued, “Senate,” Page 2) Contact TAD: TAD Staff: TAD Board: P.O. Box 13182 Executive Director: Joe Osterkamp, Chairman Rocky Gingg Austin, TX 78711 Darren Turley Lynn Ramsey, 1st Vice Chair Joel Hettinga nd (817) 410-4538 [email protected] Larry Hancock, 2 Vice Chair Tom Hoff www.milk4texas.org Vacant, Secretary Brad Johnson Gary DeVos, Treasurer Tom Miller Facebook: texasdairy Mark Ahlem David Volleman Will Collier “Senate,” Continued from Page 1 New TAHC rules to impact dairy industry Libertarian Whitney Bilyeu to replace Patrick, who is Effective immediately, the Texas Animal Health running as a Republican for lieutenant governor against Commission (TAHC) has adopted a number of new rules and Democrat and fellow Sen. Leticia Van de Putte. amendments to Texas animal health regulations associated with SD 8: Ken Paxton (statewide office run) dairy cattle exposed to tuberculosis (TB). Republican State Rep. Van Taylor of Plano is all but In addition, TAHC adopted a number of proposed rules and assured to replace Paxton, running as Republican for Texas is accepting public comments regarding trichomoniasis testing Attorney General. Taylor ran unchallenged in the primary and herd certification for cattle. The trichomoniasis proposals and is expected to handily defeat general election were drafted by a working group that includes TAD Executive Libertarian opponent Scott Jameson. Director Darren Turley. The TB rules are designed to further protect Texas cattle SD 10: Wendy Davis (statewide office run) herds by registering calf ranch or growers in the state to Republican Konni Burton won the primary runoff improve their trace back capabilities in the case of a election and now will challenge Democrat Libby Willis, tuberculosis outbreak. Libertarian Gene Ward and Green Party candidate John The new rules also will allow TB affected dairies to Tunmire. Democrat incumbent Davis chose to run for maximize the value of replacement heifers that can be raised in governor instead of the Senate seat. This Fort Worth based a controlled biosecure environment that allows them to meet seat could be up for grabs, as Democrats and Republicans the requirements for quarantine release by the time they are are evenly matched. ready to calve for the first time, and will allow steer calves to SD 16: John Carona (defeated) be fed to “finish,” also maximizing their value. Republican Don Huffines upset veteran Carona in the To view details of all the rules adopted, visit March 4 primary. Huffines should have no problem in www.tahc.state.tx.us/regs/code.html. November with Libertarian Mike Dooling. A developer and The proposed trichomoniasis rules would increase testing Tea Party-favored candidate, Huffines has family political requirements on bulls that have strayed into or from a connections but was elected as an outsider. trichomoniasis herd to be tested and quarantined as well as notification of landowners of the exposure to the disease. SD 28: Robert Duncan (resigned) Proposal details are available on the TAHC website at Duncan resigned to become chancellor of the Texas www.tahc.state.tx.us/regs/proposals.html. The TAHC is Tech University System. State Rep. Charles Perry has accepting public comments through 5 p.m., July 7. ▪ expressed interest in the seat, and others could get into the race. Perry has strong Tea Party support and would be the Mark your calendar for Southwest Dairy Day front-runner in a special election to fill the position. Two senators may or may not return, depending on if After a year hiatus, Southwest Dairy Day is back for 2014 they win election in November to statewide office: and set for Oct. 8 at Del Rio Dairy in Friona. The dairy is owned and operated by TAD Board Member Rocky Gingg. The SD 18: Glenn Hegar event is organized by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Republican Hegar is running for Texas Comptroller but, Details have not been finalized – watch for information in a if he loses in the general election, keeps his unexpired term future TAD newsletter, on TAD’s Facebook page or on the in the Senate. Hegar is favored to prevail in the Comptroller Extension website at www.texasdairymatters.org. As in the race over challengers Democrat Mike Collier, Green Party past, Dairy Day events will include exhibits, educational candidate Deb Shafto and Libertarian Ben Sanders. Should activities for DOPA credits and lunch. ▪ Hegar win and resign his Senate seat, there is a lot of speculation over who would fill it in a special election. TAD In Action SD 26: Leticia Van de Putte Some recent activities by the Texas Association of SD 26 will continue to be represented by Van de Putte Dairymen on behalf of its members include: unless she beats Senator and Republican nominee Dan • Monitored a possible manure spill at a Sulphur Springs Patrick for lieutenant governor in the general election. dairy farm under investigation by the TCEQ. Should Van de Putte win, her Senate seat would be filled by • Arranging a Texas visit and tour for Washington, D.C., a special election. ▪ representatives of the EPA. • Participated in TAHC meetings regarding, the El Paso “Water,” Continued from Page 1 dairy study, trichomoniasis and the animal response One of agriculture’s greatest challenges will be to feed this portion of the State’s emergency management plan. growing world with nutritious, affordable food. • Attended a hearing of the Texas Senate Committee on During this National Dairy Month, the Texas dairy Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security. industry must renew its commitment to both protecting and • Set the next TAD Board meeting date for Aug.